Progress and Prospects in the Psychology of Moral Development

Abstract

This commentary on the psychology of moral development provides a critical analysis of some important theoretical trends and empirical advances marking past progress and also discusses some future prospects for the field. The primary concern is that contemporary moral psychology suffers from a conceptual skew that is evidenced by a theoretical and empirical focus on moral cognition as applied to interpersonal problems and the consequent inattention to moral personality and other intrapsychic aspects of the domain. A priority for the field is to move beyond single-variable models to ones that specify a more coherent and comprehensive account of moral functioning. Among other things, such accounts should entail a realistic depiction of moral maturity, meaningfully incorporate character traits and virtues, identify early childhood precursors, and address the significance of religion and spirituality in moral functioning. Over the last several decades, the psychology of moral development has rightly come to occupy a position of central concern in the field. The vigorous research activity and scholarly debates reflect the significance of the study of morality both for developmental science and for practical applications to broader society. Morality is important for developmental science because it pervades human functioning; thus, moral psychology is relevant to many different theoretical perspectives, processes, and content areas across developmental psychology. Morality is also obviously important for broader society because it is essential to the human condition; thus, moral psychology has the potential to make vital contributions to parenting, education, corrections, and other areas of intervention. The intent of this commentary is twofold: first, to reflect back at our progress in the psychology of moral development and provide a critical analysis on some